float 1 of 2

1
as in to hover
to rest or move along the surface of a liquid or in the air a canoe floating down the river particles of dust floating in the air

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2

float

2 of 2

noun

as in dock
a structure used by boats and ships for taking on or landing cargo and passengers the crew put the cargo on the float before heading back down the river

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of float
Verb
While McDaniel and Passan give Mullins a 70% chance to be traded at this deadline, the trajectory of the Orioles likely will lead to his name being floated more often as July approaches. Hunter Mulholland, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 June 2025 A little girl has died after being found floating in a pool early Friday morning in El Portal, according to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office. Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 27 June 2025
Noun
Social media posts indicate that work was done on parade floats in New York and California, new music was recorded in London and performer rehearsals have started in Florida. Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 June 2025 While the guests are out snorkeling, Kyle spots the banana float drifting away from the boat. Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 17 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for float
Recent Examples of Synonyms for float
Verb
  • Gas prices are hovering near their lowest summer level in four years as millions of people ready themselves to hit the roads over the Fourth of July holiday weekend.
    Max Zahn, ABC News, 3 July 2025
  • Temperatures are expected to hover around the freezing point or below until Friday when it's expected to reach 41 degrees.
    Cameron Knight, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
Verb
  • Among the chaos is Rupert Friend, playing Martin Krebs, who's assembling a group to take to the scene of the devastation in hopes of extracting DNA from the creatures roaming the island to fund his next medical breakthrough.
    Billie Melissa, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 June 2025
  • Bear numbers swelled, and by the mid-2000s, more than 600 bears roamed the Yellowstone area.
    Christine Peterson, Vox, 27 June 2025
Noun
  • Pike-perch, eel, and other fresh catches are delivered straight from the lake to the hotel’s dock by fishermen whose families have worked the waters for generations.
    Katharina Kotrba, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025
  • The new location has a panoramic harbor view that includes Baby Beach, the West Basin with its docks, slips and boaters, the jetty and all the comings and goings at the harbor’s entrance.
    Erika I. Ritchie, Oc Register, 28 June 2025
Verb
  • Advertisement The adventures of these mercenaries-on-a-mission will dovetail with those of a small family, who were sailing around in the ocean for kicks when an unpleasant prehistoric sea beast overturned their boat.
    Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 30 June 2025
  • Luminara, the third vessel from The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, will be the first to sail to Asia, Canada, and Alaska.
    Maya Kachroo-Levine, Travel + Leisure, 27 June 2025
Verb
  • Read a book, breathe deeply or just let your mind wander.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 5 July 2025
  • Partygoers wandered the streets, drinks in hand, wearing Scrim costumes made from furry onesies.
    David W. Brown, New Yorker, 5 July 2025
Noun
  • Three workers inspecting the wharf fell into the choppy ocean waves as the end of the wharf broke in two.
    Jakob Rodgers, The Mercury News, 24 Dec. 2024
  • At the ferry wharf the road splits three ways: the left road takes me to the eastern part of the town, known as Hollett’s Cove; straight ahead is the highway to Eastport, the nearest town of any size, paved only a few years before.
    Robert Finch June 18, Literary Hub, 18 June 2025
Verb
  • That's where sharks prey naturally, and humans swimming there could get caught in the mix.
    Peter D'Abrosca, FOXNews.com, 29 June 2025
  • Before the beach was reopened for swimming on Thursday, park police and staff again used drones to identify marine life in the area while lifeguards patrolled from the shore and by watercraft, according to the statement.
    Danya Gainor, CNN Money, 28 June 2025
Verb
  • Even minor sparks or drifting embers can incite nearby foliage or grass, setting off a rapidly spreading fire.
    CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 1 July 2025
  • The crash occurred when the Chevrolet Silverado pickup the man was driving west on Broadway near Sweetwater Road drifted into oncoming traffic around 8 p.m., Sgt.
    Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Float.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/float. Accessed 11 Jul. 2025.

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